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Rob Ford-themed burgers, dogs, t-shirts capitalize on crack scandal

Local entrepreneurs are doing a brisk business — and making a quick buck — on the ongoing crack video saga surrounding Mayor Rob Ford, despite warnings from the business community the ongoing controversy has hurt Toronto’s brand.

Clothing retailer American Apparel has reached out to politically minded hipsters with their special edition cotton t-shirts screen-printed with the many faces of the embattled mayor in rainbow colours. He is also shown in a Nixon-like pose, with his hands raised in victory.

The RoFo Crackburger was a hot seller at This End Up on Dundas St. W. last week. (Facebook)

A $14 American Apparel special edition shirt for sale only in Toronto at Spadina Ave. location.

After the Bobbleheads sold out, Mayor Rob Ford was seen autographing t-shirts made by supporters of Ford Nation. (Twitter)

A "crack dog" is selling very well at Craft Dog, a King St. E. gourmet wiener joint.

About 150 shirts were shipped in from Los Angeles on Sunday and retail for $14 at the American Apparel outlet store at 215 Spadina Ave.

At Craft Dogs, a new gourmet hotdog joint on King St. E., a “crack dog” has been the No. 1 menu item for two weeks, said co-owner Brian Morin.

“It’s a little bit spicy. It’s got a wiener made of pork butt, because he’s the butt of everybody’s jokes,” Morin said.

And on Dundas St. W., the owners of This End Up are considering the return of the special menu item “RoFo Crackburger” this week.

The combination of ground chuck, cheddar, provolone, pork belly, fries, cheese curds and special gravy made of chicken stock, Remy Martin and Tim Hortons coffee, was so popular last week, “people were coming in just for it,” said co-owner Karen Young.

“We were selling out every day,” she said of the $16 burger.

“It went a little viral . . . we might be bringing it back.”

Bobbleheads in the mayor’s likeness, dubbed #RobbieBobbie on social media, caused a mad scramble Tuesday at City Hall as hundreds of supporters and critics alike lined up to shell out $20 each for the United Way.

The 1,000 dolls sold out, but appeared for sale on online marketplace Kijiji within hours: someone from Scarborough was selling the collectible for $1.2 million. “Will consider trading for a Caribbean island,” the posting said.

And once the Bobbleheads sold out, Ford supporters were selling “Ford Nation” t-shirts. Some were even autographed by the mayor on Tuesday, according to observers. It’s not clear who made the t-shirts.

Later that afternoon, Ford Canada tweeted: “Ford Motor Company did not grant permission for the use of its logo and thank you for bringing this to our attention.”

Last week, former pro wrestlers known as the Iron Sheik and Brutus “the Barber” Beefcake showed up at City Hall, making their way through a crush of reporters camped outside the mayor’s office to opine on the mayor before being escorted out by security.

If the wrestlers’ appearance seemed in keeping with the circuslike atmosphere at City Hall it was intentional, said Page Magen of Magen Boys Entertainment, which not only represents the wrestlers but also runs Belly Buster Submarines.

The downtown location on King St. W. had full houses every day during lunch and dinner and many people said the wrestlers prompted them to eat there, Magen said.

“We were trying to lower the intensity of the whole mayor thing,” he said this week. “We love the city. We’re not here to mock it. We just felt like the timing was great.”

He has received calls from other wrestlers Hulk Hogan, Jimmy Hart and Jake the Snake, “begging” to come to Toronto and share their feelings on drug use and to advocate a healthy lifestyle, Magen said Wednesday.

For his part, the mayor took a page from wrestling chatter, telling reporters this week he was “ready for a rumble in the jungle” during a momentous day at City Hall.

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